Collapsible box.



K. SMITH.

GOLLAPSIBLE BOX.

Y APPLICATION FILED MAE. 5, 1910. 970,858. Patented sept; 2o, 1910. 4

2 BHBETB--BHBET 1.

uwewron KARL. Srmvn,

K. SMITH.

ooLLAPsIBLn Box APPLICATION FILED MAB. 5, 1910. I 970,858 Patented Sept. 20, 1910.

WITNESSES KARL SMITH, OF SHARPSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

CDLLAPSIBLE BOX.

Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 20, 1910.

Application filed March 5, 1910. Serial No. 547,469.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, KARL SMITH, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Sharpsville, in the county of Mercer and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Boxes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accolnpanying drawing.

This invention relates to collapsible boxes, and the objects of my invention are to pro vide a metallic collapsible box that will occupy a comparatively small space when collapsed, and to provide a box that can be used or transporting various kinds of merchanise.

Other objects of my invention are to furnish the walls of a box or crate with simple and effective means for adding rigidity to the walls when in a set-up position, and to provide positive and reliable means for connecting the walls together'.

Further objects of my invention are to provide a collapsible box or crate consisting of colnparatively few parts easily and quickly assembled, and to accomplish the above objects by a box that is durable, inexpensive to manufacture and efficient as a rigid inclosure for merchandise.

These and such other objects as may hereinafter appear are attained by the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter' specifically described and then claimed.

Reference will now be had to the drawings forming a part of this specification, wherein there are illustrated the preferred embodiments of my invention, but it is to be understood that the structural elements thereof can be varied or changed, as to the size, shape and manner of assemblage without departing from the scope of the invention.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the box with one of the end walls thereof partly broken away and Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the box. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view of a portion of the box showing the manner of securing the upper edges of the end and side walls. Fig. v5 is a perspective view of the same. Flg. 6 1s an enlarged perspective view l of a portion of the box. Fig. 7 is a similar view of one of the end walls. Fig. 8 is a similar view of a modified form of bottom plate, and Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view of the same.

A box constructed in accordance with my invention embodies a bottom plate 1, end walls 2 and 3, side walls 4 and 5, and a lid or top plate 6.

The bottom plate 1 has the edges thereof provided with vertical longitudinal flanges 7 and vertical transverse flanges 8, these flanges being provided with central slots or openings 9. The bottom plate l can be provided with openings 10 for a purpose that will hereinafter appear, and the formation of the flanges 7 and 8 provide vertical corner slots 11, these slots being essential throughout the construction of the box in order that the Walls thereof can be connected together to provide a rigid structure.

The side walls 4 and 5 are identical in construction, each side wall having the lon gitudinal edges thereof provided with longitudinal flanges 12 and i3 and with vertical flanges 14. The flange 12 of each side wall is provided with openings 15 and 16, these openings being adjacent to the ends of said flanges.

with openings 17.

To assemble the side walls 4 and 5 upon the bottom plate 1, the longitudinal anges 13 are adapted to engage under the longitudinal edges of the base plate 1 with the longitudinal flanges 7 of the base plate against the inner sides of the Walls 4 and 5. The vertical flanges 14 of the walls 4 and 5 are adapted to extend inwardly upon the base plate 1 and engage the inner sides of the flanges 8.

The end walls 2 and 3 are identical in construction but are somewhat differently assembled. The end walls are provided with vertical flanges 18 and horizontal flanges 19 and 20, the flanges 20 being of a less length than the flanges 19, to provide clear- -ance for the vertical flanges 14 of the side walls 4 and 5 when assembling the end Walls. The flange 19 has the ends thereof provided with openings 21 and the walls 24 and 3 adjacent to the lower edges are provided with openin s 22. The openings 21 are adapted to register with the openings 16 of the flanges 12 of the side Walls 4 and 5, while the openings 22 are adapted to register with Furthermore, the side walls intermediate the ends thereof are providedy the openings of the flanges 8 of the bott tom plate 1.

The end wall is placed in engagement with the bottom plate 1 and side walls 4 and 5 by inserting the lower edges of the wall 3 between the flange 8 of the bottom plate 1 and the flanges 14 sf the side walls 4 and 5, with the flange 20 of the wall 3 resting upon the bottom plate 1, while the flange 19 of the plate 3 extends over the flanges 12 and the flanges 18 of the wall 3 along the outer sides of the walls 4 and 5. The end wall 2 is similarly placed relatively to the bot-toin plate 1 and the walls 4 and 5, with the exception that the flange 19 of the wall 2 is carried under the flanges 12 of the walls 4 and 5. In the manner the wall 3 is assembled, it is essential that fastening devices be used in the openings 21 and 16, to lock the upper edges of the walls whereby the walls 4 and 5 cannot collapse inwardly, but when the flanges 19 of the end walls extend under the flanges 12 of the side walls, as best shown at the left-hand side of F ig. 3, the flanges 19 serve as a brace for the walls 4 and 5, preventing an inward movement of said walls, while the flanges 18 of the end walls 2 and 3 prevent an outward movement of the walls 4 and 5.

The top plate or lid 6 has the edges thereof provided with longitudinal depending flanges 23 and transverse depending flanges 24, these flanges being adapted to embrace the upper edges of the walls 2 to 5 inclusive. The flanges 23 adjacent to the ends thereof arev provided with openings 25 adapted to register with openings 26 in the walls 4 and 5, and the top plate or lid 6 adjacent to the openings 25 is provided with openings 27 adapted to register with the openings l5l of the flanges. 12 of the side walls 4 and 5.

To secure the flanges 19 of the walls 2 and l 3 to the flanges 12 of the walls 4 and 5 I can use malleable staples 28 adapted to be inserted in the openings 21 and 16 and the ends thereof clenched or bent outwardly, as at 29. Similar fastening means can be used for securing the flanges 8 of the bottom plate to the end walls 2 and 3 and to secure the top plate or lid 6 in a closed position upon the box pieces of wire 30 can be inserted through the openings 25 and 26 and 15 and 27 and the ends of the wire brought together and connected by a suitable seal or other locking device.

In Figs. 8 and 9 of the drawings, I have illustrated a modification of the bottom plate 1, wherein the flanges 7 and 8 thereof are re-inforced by a double thickness of material, a greater amount of material being used, whereby the material can be bent upon itself prior to the flange formation, and the inwardly projecting portions 31 of the flanges 8 can overlap the inwardly proiecting prtions the 1. A'collapsible box comprising a bottomy plate having the edges thereof provided with vertical flanges, side walls having the edges thereof provided with flanges with the vertical flanges thereof extending inwardly upon the bottom plate and the longitudinal bottom flanges thereof engaging the bottom side of the bottom plate, end walls having the edges thereof provided with flanges and the vertical flanges of said end walls engaging the outer sides of said side walls, the bottom flanges of said end walls extending over and upon the bottom plate, the top` flange of one wall engaging under a top flange of oneA side wall and the top flange of the other end wall engaging over the top flange of the other side wall, a lid having depending flanges adapted to embrace the outer sides of said side walls and end walls, and means adapted to secure said walls, bottom plate and lid in assembled position.

2. A collapsible box comprising a bottom plate having the edges thereof provided with vertical. flanges, side walls having the edges thereof provided 'with flanges with` the vertical flanges thereof extending 1nwardly upon the bottom plate and the longi-` tudinal bottom flanges thereof engaging the bottom side of the bottom plate, end walls having the edges thereof provided with flanges and the vertical flanges of said end walls engaging the outer sides of said side walls, the bottom flanges of said end walls extending over upon the` bottom plate, and

the top flange of one wall engaging under a 'Y top flange of one side wall and the top flange of the other end wall engaging over the top flange of the other side wall, a lid having depending flanges adapted to embrace the outer sides of said side walls and end walls, and means adapted to secure said walls, bottom plate and lid in assembled position, said means including adapted to secure the top flanges of said side and end walls together and wires adapted to hold said lid in engagement with said side walls.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

KARL SMITH.

vVitnesses GRACE E. TURNER, BERTI-IA MILLER.

staples 

